Currently a Doctoral scholar at TISS, Mumbai, Dr Panda has more than a decade of cumulative experience in academics, International agencies and Ministry of Health. Besides his academic excellence of being the Topper in TISS, he was a prize winning Speaker and Debater in State and University level and is a columnist in some of the reputed papers.

Prior to joining PHFI, he was working in the Ministry of Health & F.W, Govt of Odisha as Sr State Coordinator for capacity building, responsible for managing IMNCI, Management trainings, Routine immunization training of Medical Officers, Village Health and Nutrition Day & Pustikar Diwas initiatives, etc. Over the years, he has worked in different capacities in six States of India in the areas of Reproductive & Child Health, Nursing Education, Eyecare programmes, Project Management, District Health Planning, Training and Advocacy.

Dr Panda has undertaken research studies on Low Birth Weight in South 24 Parganas of West Bengal and on Malaria in Mysore District of Karnataka. He was a Consultant to the Radiation Epidemiology Project of Jadugura, Jharkhand under TISS – BARC collaboration.

He is a nominated member of the State Task Force on IYCFP, Govt. of West Bengal and Member Convener of the State Task Force on Nursing, Govt. of Odisha.

In PHFI (IIPHB), he has coordinated Modules on Health Policy Planning and Promotion; Health Sector Reforms and NRHM; Strategic Management and Project Management; HMIS; Management of RCH. He has taken extensive capacity building sessions on public health and management for a wide range of international, national, state and district level participants, recorded on-line modules on Health Promotion and presented papers in State and National Conferences. Being a team player, he successfully completed an externally funded research grant on Supportive Supervision in Routine Immunization. Currently leading Tobacco Control project (BI-HRIDAY) on capacity building and advocacy and external monitoring project (UNICEF) on IMNCI and Routine Immunization in high priority districts of Odisha.